Chabad Center & Chai Preschool

San Mateo, CA

The Lent Chabad Center and The Eva Chernov Lokey Chai Preschool maximizes a complex urban site with dual zoning requirements and a unique building program at each floor level: an underground parking garage, a first floor preschool with play yards over podium, and a second floor sanctuary and community space.

The preschool is comprised of six colorful classrooms within two cohorts, each with its own distinct, age-appropriate exterior play space. The second floor lobby leads into the social hall and the shul, a double height worship space lined with clerestory windows, bringing in natural light while providing privacy. A custom, artist-designed, perforated metal screen adorns the east windows of the shul while providing a backdrop for the play yard below. Additional program includes a café, full kitchen, offices, and a contemplative roof garden with olive trees.

Interior Design: Daphne Kaufer, Studio Daph Design


Photography: Ken Gutmaker

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